Learning To Walk
by snuglkty
Summary: This is unfinished, maybe. It came to me last night, and I had to write it out. Any constructive feedback is very much welcome. Callie is a little bitchy to Arizona. She knows this, but she is hormonal so…


"Oh, that's her diva cry." Arizona said, walking over to pick up the crying baby.

"Diva cry?" asked a grumpy Callie. She had been trying to figure out why the baby was crying. She had fed her and changed her diaper, but none of it was working. In the end she left her in the crib crying. Callie felt like crying herself.

"Yeah, diva cry. She does it when she wants to be held and wants attention. Isn't that right big girl?" Sofia had stopped crying as soon as she was picked up. Arizona looked up at Callie with a triumphant look.

"How did you know that? Why don't I know that?" Callie asked angrily.

"You will get it sweetie. It just takes time."

"NO! I should know that stuff now. I don't know anything about her, but you know it all. I should know why she is crying. I am her mother."

Arizona was shocked. Not only at the anger pouring off of her love, but also from the words.

"What kind of mother am I? You know her every cry, every coo, everything. I know nothing! I am her mother, not you!"

Arizona stared opened mouth at Callie. "You're right Calliope, I'm nothing." she stated, surprised at her calm voice. "I was only the person who brought _your_ daughter back to life after she was born. I am only the woman who sat by _your_ bedside day and night begging you to live. I am the woman who spent every spare moment with your daughter telling her what a wonderful mother she has and that she had to fight. That you loved her, we all did. I fed her, I changed her, I held her when she cried. I was there for every check-up the doctor did. I went over every note in her chart to make sure he was doing everything for her. I did all of that because I love you. I fell in love with _your_ daughter the minute I felt her heart beating against my fingers. I did all of that because you weren't able to be there for her. I worked my ass off all day in surgery and then went and took care of your daughter in NICU. I was with you through all of your physical therapy. I let you yell and scream at me because you were angry you couldn't force your body to do what you wanted and I never got angry with you. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat. Every minute that I wasn't working, I was taking care of you or her, but you're right, I am nothing." Arizona placed the now crying Sofia into her crib, grabbed her jacket and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Callie stared in shock at the door for a moment, the sound of it slamming still echoing in her ears, then ran her hands over face and through her hair. "Shit" she muttered as she picked up the baby. "Mommy just did something monumentally stupid baby girl." she said, not noticing the tears coursing down her face.

—-

Loud knocking woke Mark out of a nice dream of Lexie. He stumbled to the door and was shocked to see a small blonde there. "What's wrong? Is Callie and Sofia ok?" he asked. He looked at Arizona. She was in a tank top and boxers, with a jacket as her only cover against the cold. He looked down and noticed she was barefoot. She was also sobbing.

"They're fine" she managed to get out. "Sorry to bother you. I left without my shoes, or purse," she looked down at herself, "or clothes. I didn't know where else to go."

"It's ok. What's wrong?" he asked, as he shut the door and lead her to the couch.

She began to tell him what had happened. She found it ironic that a few months ago, she would have never thought she would be crying on his shoulder, but the car wreck had changed everything. Mark and Arizona were partners. They worked together, tag-teaming the care of both Callie and the baby. She had grown to respect him. She still thought of him as a man-whore, but she had to admit, he had his charm.

When she was done Mark hugged her until she stopped crying. "You are not nothing Arizona Robbins. You are a mother and soon to be wife. Just remember that. I am not sure what I would have done without you then. You saved our girl's life. Both of them. I don't know what is going on with Callie, but we are a family. You are in this family. Like it or not." Arizona had to smile at the force he said all of that. He stood up and went to his room. When he came back, he was dressed and was carrying a pillow and a blanket. He put the pillow on the couch, took Arizona's jacket off of her, layed her down on the couch and covered her with the blanket. He grabbed his jacket and opened the front door.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Just lay down and try to get some sleep. I will be back in a little bit. Don't worry Arizona, everything will be ok." he said as he walked out, closing the door behind him.

She laid down and started to cry again. After a few minutes, she had fallen into an exhausted slumber.

—

Mark opened the door to the Torres-Robbins apartment. He was glad it was just across the hall from his. Callie was just putting a now sleeping baby in the crib when he entered. He saw the look of hope change to confusion on his friend's face. He knew she was probably hoping he was Arizona. "She's on my couch. Hopefully sleeping." he answered her unasked question. "We need to talk. Now." He left no room for argument.

"Is she okay?" Callie asked.

"What do you think? You tell her that she isn't Sofia's mom? No, she isn't ok." Mark said with a little anger that surprised Callie a little.

"I didn't mean it the way it came out." she said trying to defend herself. "I really screwed up this time, didn't I"

"You think?"

"I don't know why those words came out. I didn't mean them. Sofia was crying, and I couldn't get her to stop. I am so tired Mark. Arizona comes in and picks her up and starts walking around with her, and she stops."

"Her diva cry" Mark says, nodding.

"See!" Callie says, her voice raising. "That's what I'm talking about. I don't know anything about my daughter. It's like you two are in this secret club and I'm not a member."

"So you tell her she isn't her mom?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.

"I know. God, I really am a bitch, aren't I?"


End file.
